Programs by month:

Programs and Tours

Films offered in conjunction with Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

September 4, 5, 6, 26, 27 and October 3

The documentary films in this series explore the multiple realities of the 60s and 70s, both in their time and in retrospect. The series is divided into four programs: Signs of the Times examines the political and social climate that gave rise to the Pop sensibility; All About Andy takes a closer look at the artist himself; Intimate Portraits turns the lens on two tragic victims of Warhol’s star system; The Scene paints a vivid portrait of the artistic circles of the times.

All films are screened in the Helmut Stern Auditorium, and all are free charge.

Signs of the Times: the 60s and 70s
Friday, September 4

5:30 pm In the Year of the Pig (Emile de Antonio, 1968, 103 min)
Produced at the height of Vietnam War, Emile de Antonio’s Oscar-nominated 1968 documentary chronicles the war’s historical roots. The savage and horrific images speak for themselves in perhaps the most controversial film of de Antonio's career.

8:15 pm Dont Look Back (DA Pennebaker, 1967, 96 min)
Pennebaker’s funny and biting portrait of the artist as a young man follows Bob Dylan from airport to hall, from hotel room to public house, from conversation to concert in the spring of 1965 on tour in England.

10 pm The Times of Harvey Milk (Rob Epstein, 1984, 88 min)
One of the first openly gay elected officials in America, Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated on November 27, 1978. The film documents Milk's life leading up to his election, his successful efforts to politically represent San Francisco's gay community, and the city's reaction to the assassinations with extensive news film and personal recollections.

Guided Tour

Films offered in conjunction with Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

September 5

All films are screened in the Helmut Stern Auditorium, and all are free charge.

All about Andy
Saturday, September 5

4 pm Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (Chuck Workman, 1990, 87 min)
A feature-length "cinema-collage" of the life, work, and impact of Andy Warhol (1928–1987), pop icon and artist, from his childhood in Pittsburgh to his death after a botched surgery, with interviews from other famous artists of the time.

5:45 pm Scenes From the Life of Andy Warhol (Jonas Mekas, 1996, 38 min) In this 1990 film Jonas Mekas chronicles not only the great pop artist, Andy Warhol, but also the social and cultural excitement that swirled around him, throbbing to a hypnotic Velvet Underground beat.

Intimate Portraits
Saturday, September 5

8 pm Nico Icon (Susanne Ofteringer, 1994, 67 min)
A look into the many lives of Christa Päffgen, otherwise known as Nico, from cutie German madchen to the first of the supermodels, to glamorous diva of the Velvet Underground, to cult item, junkie, and hag.

9:15 pm A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (Esther Robinson, 2007, 92 min)
Esther Robinson's portrait of her uncle Danny Williams, Warhol's onetime lover, collaborator, and a filmmaker in his own right, offers an exploration of the Factory era, an homage to Williams's talent, a journey of family discovery, and a compelling inquiry into Williams's mysterious disappearance at age 27.

Guided Tour

Films offered in conjunction with Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

September 6

All films are screened in the Helmut Stern Auditorium, and all are free charge.

The Scene
Sunday, September 6

4 pm Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene 1940–1970 (Emile de Antonio, 1972, 118 min)
This film is a vibrant collective portrait of the legendary figures who powered the tumultuous post-war New York art scene, and in the process illuminates the genesis of Abstract Expressionism. Footage of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's landmark exhibition New York Painting and Sculpture 1940–1970 supplements the film.

6:15 pm End of the Art World (Alexis Krasilovsky, 1971, 35 min)
With a quality of humor possible only with depth of understanding, Alexis Krasilovsky presents a catalogue of interviews with modern artists in which both the shooting style the interview approach rehearse the personal style, aesthetics, and viewpoint of each artist about the nature of his art.

7 pm The Cool School: How LA Learned to Love Modern Art (Morgan Neville, 2008, 85 min)
A look at the famed Ferus Gallery, which turned the L.A. art scene into a place for brilliant artists to show their work, as well as served as a place where New York artists, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, could launch their projects. Featuring artists and performers such as Dennis Hopper, Frank Gehry, and Ed Ruscha, among many others.

Camera Ready: Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

Christina Chang, curator of the exhibition and UM PhD student, will introduce Warhol’s so-called superstars, the supporting characters of his self-crafted, famous persona, displayed as snapshots in this exhibition.

Guided Tour

Seeing Beyond the Snapshot

Create your own masterpieces at UMMA. After a group study and discussion of photographs and other 2D images in the UMMA collections, students will share their own prints or digital images for critique and discussion.

Adam Unsworth Jazz

Adam Unsworth is associate professor of horn at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the faculty at Michigan, he spent nine years as a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra's horn section and three years in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He leads his own jazz group, the Adam Unsworth Ensemble, which recorded the critically acclaimed CD Excerpt This! and has recently completed a second recording entitled Next Step.

Artist Talk: Lisa Anne Auerbach

Lisa Anne Auerbach’s subversive brand of post-punk, DIY aesthetics mixes art and politics in a manner both highly personal and thoroughly embedded in contemporary culture. A reception and conversation with the artist will follow at 6:30 pm in the UMMA Commons. This event, co-hosted by the Center for the Education of Women, is open to the public. This program is made possible in part by UMMA’s New Visions Venture Fund and the Center for the Education of Women (CEW) Frances and Sydney Lewis Visiting Leaders Fund. For more information contact Kim Howard at 734.647.2064 or kimhowrd@umich.edu.

Guided Tour

The New UMMA
Sunday, September 13, 1 pm

UMMA Projects: Lisa Anne Auerbach

Sunday, September 13, 2 pm
Irving Stenn, Jr Family Project Gallery

The department store-like window installation of Lisa Anne Auerbach’s exhibition will be introduced by Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Jacob Proctor. Auerbach’s sweaters and other art proclaim her politics and personal interests.

Dean Young Poetry Reading

Dean Young has published 10 books of poetry, including Elegy on Toy Piano and Primitive Mentor. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, has received numerous fellowships, and was on the permanent faculty at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop until becoming the William Livingston Chair of Poetry at the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. This is the Janey Lack Annual Reading in Poetry.

UMMA is delighted to become the home of the Department of English Program in Creative Writing Zell Visiting Writers Lecture Series, which brings outstanding writers each semester. The Series is endowed by a gift from UM alumna Helen Zell (’64). All readings are held in the Helmut Stern Auditorium at 5 pm on Thursdays unless noted and are free of charge. For more information, please see www.lsa.umich.edu/english/grad/mfa/mfaeve.asp.

These events are cosponsored by the Department of English and the Office of the Provost of the University of Michigan.

Nights at the Museum

Each week this class will focus on a different work or group of works from the galleries. Students will learn a variety of techniques and create their own masterpieces. Along the way expect gallery games, scavenger hunts, excitement, and fun! Come with an open mind and a sense of adventure! (All levels welcome.)

Night at the Museum (Shawn Levy, 2006), Screen Arts and Cultures Film Series

Thursday, September 17, 7:30 pm

Funnyman Ben Stiller stars in this action-adventure-comedy about a museum that comes to life at night. Also showing—Will Vinton's Academy Award-winning animated short Closed Mondays.

Panel Discussion on Untitled (History Painting): Painting and Public Life in the 21st Century

Friday, September 18, 5 pm
Helmut Stern Auditorium

Is painting a viable means of addressing contemporary and historical events? The use and translation of photographic imagery in contemporary art and painting’s role in a culture dominated by photographic and digital media will be among the issues considered by this panel. Jacob Proctor, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will lead a discussion with Jordan Kantor and Matt Saunders—artists featured in the exhibition—and colleagues from UM’s Department of the History of Art. This program is made possible in part by UMMA’s New Visions Venture Fund.

The Ark at UMMATim Monger

Friday, September 18, 7-9 pm
UMMA Commons

The Ark at UMMA—a new partnership—kicks off with a performance by local singer-songwriter Tim Monger. He is the founding member for the Michigan rock group Great Lakes Myth Society and released his debut solo album Summer Cherry Ghosts in 2004.

Guided Tour

Steve Stern Fiction Reading

Steve Stern is the author of several works of fiction, including the story collections Lazar Malkin Enters Heaven and The Wedding Jester, and the novel The Angel of Forgetfulness. His books have received several awards and fellowships and his work is included in numerous anthologies. He is currently a writer-in- residence at Skidmore College.

These events are cosponsored by the Department of English and the Office of the Provost of the University of Michigan.

Screen Arts and Cultures Film Series

Together with UM’s Screen Arts and Cultures program (SAC), UMMA will offer a range of films in the new Helmut Stern Auditorium on the Museum’s lower level.

The collateral impact of America’s secret war in Laos is reflected in the extraordinary story of one family’s struggle for survival in Laos and later in the US. This film was an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature.

Art Appreciation: Contemporary Painting Lecture

What is the purpose of painting in a “post-painting” era? This lecture explores how artists have addressed this question from the periods of early Modernism to Postmodernism and the contemporary era.

Films offered in conjunction with Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

September 26

All films are screened in the Helmut Stern Auditorium, and all are free charge.

All about Andy
Saturday, September 26

4 pm Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (Chuck Workman, 1990, 87 min)
A feature-length "cinema-collage" of the life, work, and impact of Andy Warhol (1928–1987), pop icon and artist, from his childhood in Pittsburgh to his death after a botched surgery, with interviews from other famous artists of the time.

5:45 pm Scenes From the Life of Andy Warhol (Jonas Mekas, 1996, 38 min) In this 1990 film Jonas Mekas chronicles not only the great pop artist, Andy Warhol, but also the social and cultural excitement that swirled around him, throbbing to a hypnotic Velvet Underground beat.

UMS/UMMA Special Event

UMS presents critically acclaimed indie rock band Grizzly Bear, whose May 2009 release VECKATIMEST was written up in Rolling Stone as, "Already a front-runner for 2009's most gushed-over art-rock record, the third disc from this Brooklyn quartet has a sound that is completely its own: an opulent, intimate rumble built on churning acoustic riffs, haunting croons, and precise string parts." In the spirit of Andy Warhol's well-known collaborations with the most influential rock bands of his time, UMMA joins forces with UMS to sponsor a "Warhol Snapshots" photo shoot. Come early and dressed for your 15 minutes of fame. Your pictures will be uploaded onto both UMS's Facebook page and UMMA's Flickr page, and may even be included in the installation of UMMA's Warhol Snapshots 1973–1986 exhibition on view August 29 through October 25. Tickets: $42 / $38 / $30 / $22 / $18, available by calling 734.764.2538 or online at www.ums.org You must be ticketed for the concert to be photographed.

Guided Tour

Guided Tour

Films offered in conjunction with Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

September 27

All films are screened in the Helmut Stern Auditorium, and all are free charge.

The Scene
Sunday, September 27

4 pm Painters Painting: The New York Art Scene 1940–1970 (Emile de Antonio, 1972, 118 min)
This film is a vibrant collective portrait of the legendary figures who powered the tumultuous post-war New York art scene, and in the process illuminates the genesis of Abstract Expressionism. Footage of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's landmark exhibition New York Painting and Sculpture 1940–1970 supplements the film.

6:15 pm End of the Art World (Alexis Krasilovsky, 1971, 35 min)
With a quality of humor possible only with depth of understanding, Alexis Krasilovsky presents a catalogue of interviews with modern artists in which both the shooting style the interview approach rehearse the personal style, aesthetics, and viewpoint of each artist about the nature of his art.

7 pm The Cool School: How LA Learned to Love Modern Art (Morgan Neville, 2008, 85 min)
A look at the famed Ferus Gallery, which turned the L.A. art scene into a place for brilliant artists to show their work, as well as served as a place where New York artists, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, could launch their projects. Featuring artists and performers such as Dennis Hopper, Frank Gehry, and Ed Ruscha, among many others.

Camera Ready: Warhol Snapshots, 1973–1986

Christina Chang, curator of the exhibition and UM PhD student, will introduce Warhol’s so-called superstars, the supporting characters of his self-crafted, famous persona, displayed as snapshots in this exhibition.

Tuesday Night Lecture Series

Noor Nieftagodien, University of Wittswatersrand
Translating Knowledge: Global Perspectives on Museum and Community

“Translating Knowledge” considers strategies for engaging the peoples whose lives and histories are presented in the museum in the complicated processes of interpreting culture. This year-long lecture series organized by the UM Museum Studies Program brings 10 scholars to the University of Michigan from South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, the Philippines, and the US. These scholars’ work offers new paradigms for confronting the social and political challenges of representation in the museum. Each participant will present a lecture that examines the theory and a workshop that explores the practice of their community- engaged scholarship.

Guided Tour

Wednesday Night Lecture Series

National Museum of the American Indian: Reflections on American History and 21st-Century Museology
Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm
Helmut Stern Auditorium

Richard West, Jr., Founding Director Emeritus of the National Museum of the American Indian will give the 11th annual William R. Farrand Lecture. Established in 1989, the National Museum of the American Indian is an institution of living cultures dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. West will speak about what makes the National Museum of the American Indian different from other museums, and about the new models for museum practice that they have developed.

Join us on Wednesday evenings for lectures by Museum professionals from across the country. They will speak on a range of unique topics and issues central to today’s museums. All lectures are free and open to the public and will take place in UMMA’s Helmut Stern Auditorium unless otherwise indicated.

This program is cosponsored by the Native American Studies Program and the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, sponsor of the annual endowed William R. Farrand Lecture.